Kitchens of Distinction’s Patrick Fitzgerald, Julian Swales reunite for new album

Kitchens of Distinction co-founders Patrick Fitzgerald and Julian Swales have reunited for the first time since the British dream-pop act folded in 1996, writing 10 new songs together — “whittled down from a lot more ideas that never fully flowered” — that Fitzgerald says are “reminiscent of Kitchens but also something new.”

In August, Fitzgerald — who, in recent years, has performed as Stephen Hero — posted:

“New songs are not a stephenhero record. Not sure what to call it yet. 10 songs whittled down from a lot more ideas that never fully flowered. Me and Julian play on them all. Oh except one, so far. It sounds guitarry and expansive. Reminiscent of Kitchens but also something new. We hope. We live in different places so it takes a long time to get tracks sorted. But they’re written, and they are nearing completion. I think. But we won’t sign them off till they’re totally fantastic. However long that takes. No plans to tour. My health is not healthy, and It may stumble on like this for some time. So no plans to tour. Thanks for being interested. Now back to work.”

Then, over the weekend, he followed up with:

“Very close to mixing now. 10 new songs recorded with Julian playing guitar and me playing guitar and singing and there’s bass and strings and drums and flutes and oboes and trumpets and tambourines and weird samples and swearing and not swearing and songs that sound old and songs that sound nothing like what we’ve done before and a soprano’s ahhs and the kitchen sink.”

Fitzgerald, Swales and drummer Dan Goodwin formed KOD in 1985 and released their first single, “The Last Gasp Death Shuffle,” in 1987. Between 1989 and 1994, the trio released four studio albums before disbanding in 1996 following the release of final single “Feel My Genie.”